Ogreness, Black Lake-book5

Chapter 55
~

I woke up in a hospital, again. But I know I’d gotten some sleep, because I felt great. Compared to the last time I was conscious.

Mama slept in a chair next to my bed. I whispered, “Ya awake?”

Her eyes popped open. “Ya’re finally alive?”

“I’m starvin’,” I said.

She smiled, lips slidin’ across her tusks. “Been asleep over twenty hours,” she said. “They pumped a bunch of blood and fluids in ya. Doc said ya was close to cashin’ it in.”

“Them doctors exaggerate a piece,” I said.

“Yeah, they do,” she said. “I’ll go see about gettin’ ya half a carcass brought up to ya.”

“Half?” I shrieked.

“Okay. Full.”

I maybe was fallin’ asleep again as I watched her walk toward the door.

But she woke me to eat. And I ate. Slept some more. Snacked on the bones from earlier when I woke. Slept some more. When I woke again, Mama said I missed my brother and sister. Ah. Hadn’t seen either of them for a while.

“Why didn’t ya wake me?” I asked.

“Doctor said to let ya rest.”

“I think I’ve rested some.”

“Some,” she said. “But she doesn’t want ya going straight to work, either, when she lets ya out of here. And she knew if she didn’t tie ya down ya’d prolly be meetin’ the council today if she turned her back.”

“Ya talk like I’m dedicated or something.”

“Ya’re yar father’s youngling,” she said.

I’d been thinkin’ about askin’ her about that. Would it insult the bull to ask him to spit on a cotton ball? I asked her to fill me in on what’s been going on. She said things were as I would expect. I didn’t know what she’d think I would expect. I don’t have a colorful imagination. I asked if the Northerners had sent an army South.

She laughed. “Internationally they’re takin’ a big hit. Countries, allies and foes, have been threatenin’ to cancel trade deals, sanction ’em, stuff that went over my head.”

Not much goes over Mama's head. That proves ogres can be humble. “The board?” I asked.

“Met. Followed yar recommendations. Northerners are ticked. Threatenin’ their own sanctions.”

“The statistics? Police incidents?” I asked.

“At first they denied them.”

I waited.

“The politicians did. The federal authorities, not so much. They’re investigatin’. Maybe something will come of it.”

Darshee and Wizper strode in the door. “He’s still eatin’?” they both asked as one, pointin’ at the long rib in my paw.

“I woke hungry.” I must pout when I’m hungry.

“Ya made it back.” Mama rose, and bussed each of the hens’ cheeks. The three clung to each other a moment.

When they unclutched, Darshee and Wizper took turns loomin’ over me, jammin’ their tusks into my forehead, as though tryin’ to mark me as theirs. Ouch.

“Nuel?” Wizper asked.

Mama said, “Should be in after council breaks.”

“They haven’t kicked her out yet for her radical Northern leanings?” I asked.

Darshee held up a mean finger. “Don’t be like that. She’s doing yar work while ya’ve been lazin’ around like a no-account.”

“Haven’t been lazin’ around.” Maybe I pouted again.

“Yar papa says,” Wizper said, “she hasn’t ticked anyone off any more than ya would have the past couple days.”

I’ve been here a couple days? I almost pushed away the food tray to get out of bed, but leanin’ forward, the stars appeared to loop around the room again and the world spun. Whoa.

“A little tipsy still?” Wizper asked.

“Nah.”

The three hens laughed. I didn’t see anything funny.

“They put enough blood in ya to gag a goblin,” Mama said.

I grimaced at the ethnic slur. She waved a hand at me. “Tomorrow. They’ll let ya out, but ya aren’t workin’. Sittin’ and readin’ all the doctor said ya should do for a couple more days.”

Coincidental I was always asleep when the doctor came around. Figger Mama made that up. Hens are always a little overprotective.

Considerin’ I fell asleep while the three hens were yackin’, maybe I was still a little drained. But Mama’s tap on my shoulder drew me awake right away. Not sayin’ I could see anything but ghosts and fog for a moment, but after I blinked for a minute, Nuel stood in front of me, arms crossed under her bosoms. Mama stood and walked out of the room.

What was that about?

“Hey,” Nuel said.

I called her hey and raised her a, “How’re ya?”

“Tired. How are ya?”

“Dandy,” I said. “I heard ya’re doing my job on the council.”

“Yar job?” she asked.

“Keepin’ them in line. Ya haven’t ruined too much yet, have ya?”

“Of course not,” she said. “I’ve been undoing all your damage.”

I told her not to undo all of it. She shrugged. I asked her how long she was hangin’ around. She shrugged again. She was stayin’ at the family cabin. Was enjoyin’ the back and forth between Mama and Papa.

Papa mostly shrugs and walks away from conflict. He’s pretty smart when it comes to livin’ with a hen. But then I’ve noticed he uses a little sass when he flirts with Nuel.

Papa likes the hen or something. Of course he likes Darshee and Wizper too. I asked where they were. Nuel said they’d already flown back home. When I curled up my brow, she said things are tense at Ogreware.

“Rumor out it’s gonna be spun off from Ogre Industries. That a partner is being courted.”

Yeah. Pretty much sounded like a summary of my plan—though Kriz would never let that beagle bark. Three partners, actually. More absorbin’ than partnerin’.

“Can I sit?” Nuel grouched.

“Sorry.” I waved at Mama’s chair.

She settled. Took a long time to straighten out the eggshell hued skirt she wore. Pretty. A lot of eyelet. Mama has one like it, I think. Not off the rack. Nuel got the soft cotton layered just right over her knees finally and said, “When ya’re on your feet, I need to head North.”

A pang worked through my chest I didn’t expect. The hen had been a pain in the tuckus from time to time, but she was growin’ on me. Hmm. But why did she have to wait until I was on my feet?

“Ya sure it’ll be safe for ya?”

“Northern Congress and Council signed an agreement, guaranteeing, uh—”

I could see why she was hawin’. The libertarians among us, namely me and Papa, had always been against a formal diplomatic agreement.

“Are ya kiddin’ me? And ya think that makes ya safe? The stats we’re advertisin’ aren’t for nothing.”

“I promise not to drive as an ogre.”

“That isn’t even funny.” I might have growled deep.

She pointed a finger at me which she ripped out of her lap. “Don’t ya growl at me.”

I maybe pouted a fraction of a second.

“Ya’ll be glad to get me out of yar hair, anyway,” she said.

“Well. That’s true. Ya’re a little irritatin’.”

“Ya’re big irritatin’,” she said.

We were both growlin’ now. Sorta funny.

“Hush in there,” Mama hissed from outside the door.

Stink. She was listenin’ in on our conversation, the hen. They are all devious as all get out.

Nuel patted her lap. “I have a life up there.”

“I thought ya were gonna emigrate.”

She shrugged. “This business if far from over—”

I waited. Sounded like there was a but hangin’ on the end of her statement.

“But I can’t sleep in the quiet down here.”

I nodded. “That’s a good reason to rush back to the big city.”

She nodded.

And silence wrapped around us, sudden like. Mama finally strode back in. Nuel gave up the chair to her. Made me a tiny bit sad, because I think that prompted her to say she prolly should go.

That pang I felt in my chest earlier revisited as I watched Nuel stroll out the door.

“Why do ya fight it so?” Mama asked real quiet-like.

I wasn’t gonna insult her by flingin’ a, fight what, at her. If I told her a Range ogre and a city ogre could never see eye to eye she’d prolly slap me. And I like my gray matter the way it is.

But I felt it was true. Despite Papa and Mama’s teasin’ about doing nothing but fightin’ for six decades, they agree with each other far more than they disagree. And they’re serious individuals. Both of ’em. No one’s fool. They speak their minds and walk their own walks. But still flirt like teenagers.

“What?” Mama asked.

“I miss ya and Papa. I need to come up this way more often.”

She smiled. Made her tusks glisten, maybe. “Ain’t that a sweet thing to say.”

“Just whinin’ and poutin’, because, ya know, I’m a little low on energy right now.”

“Yep. That’s it,” Mama said.

~ Nuel ~

If he wanted me to stay, he could have said so. Would it have killed him? Me here, I’d be just like Darshee and Wizper, another hen sadly wishing the bachelor was a little needier.

That is pathetic in more ways than I can count.

I wasn’t raised to go acting as though I need a bull to make me complete. Just recently the togetherness I thought was on the horizon with another bull evaporated in the mist. Not gonna make that mistake again. I don’t need any wooing. I’m fine on my own.

~